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LeToya ends waiting game with new album
04/17/2009 10:00 PM, Reuters
Gail Mitchell
LeToya Luckett, an original member of Destiny's Child, didn't expect to wait three years between solo albums. After she released her first record, EMI announced that Capitol and Virgin would merge into the Capitol Music Group. In the midst of the restructuring, the group's executive vice president of urban music, Ronnie Johnson, died of a heart attack. "When you get caught up in a merger and then lose someone who was so involved in your project, there's nothing you can do," says LeToya, who uses only her first name professionally. "You don't have control; you can't release another album. So you learn to be patient." As she waited, she focused on figuring out some things about love, relationships and her personal growth as a woman, singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. Those life lessons are reflected in the songs on "Lady Love." The album is slated for release June 23. LeToya established her solo status with a 2006 self-titled album. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts with 165,000 copies, the set has since sold 529,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The lead single, "Torn," peaked at No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second time around, the Houston native says she wanted to write songs with a more fun, upbeat and edgy attitude. "The first album was more about getting adjusted to being solo and finding my lane," LeToya says. "It's still about soulful, feel-good music. However, I didn't want to be stuck in a comfort zone. I wanted to be freer, more daring vocally and lyrically to reflect the situations I've experienced." The lead single, "Not Anymore," picks up from where "Torn" left off as LeToya sings about kicking a cheating boyfriend to the curb. The empowerment anthem -- co-written and co-produced by Ne-Yo -- is No. 53 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Another ballad, "Regret," is being groomed as the second single. But other songs, like the sassy "She Ain't Got S--t on Me," point to a different sound and side of the singer. "There's a lot of talk like that on this album," LeToya says. "My swag is different. People will be surprised." Having appeared in the stage play "Rumors" early last year in Atlanta, LeToya continues to make inroads as an actor. She will make her feature film debut this summer in "Preacher's Kid," a drama starring Clifton Powell and Essence Atkins. In early June, LeToya will begin filming a role in "Five Killers" opposite Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. The singer says she's getting the chance to "branch out and showcase a whole different me. I'm a single, growing woman who knows what LeToya wants." (Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
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